500 donkeys in Botswana are to be fitted with glow-in-the-dark ear tags to prevent road accidents.

A tenth of crashes in northern Botswana are caused by the free-roaming animals, as drivers are often unable to see them in time to brake.

The UK-based Society For The Protection Of Animals Abroad (SPANA) has given funding to the Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS) in Botswana to attach reflectors to the donkeys' ears, The Mirror reports.

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Laura Higham, outreach veterinary advisor for SPANA, said: "The people that own working donkeys are some of the very poorest in Botswana's society, and often have no choice other than to let their animals roam freely in search of food in the sparse desert environment."

MAWS chairwoman Ally Lamb spoke of having to humanely put down donkeys injured in road accidents, and expressed her gratitude at the funding news.

"Thanks to SPANA funding this tagging project we hope to prevent these accidents happening all together, saving not only donkeys' lives but also those of the occupants in vehicles that hit them," she said.